


Festival of Ra

by DiannaPhantom27



Series: Karivarry Life Swap AU [3]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Supergirl (TV 2015), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: AU, Alien Culture, Cultural Differences, F/M, Light Angst, Loneliness, Loss Of Culture, M/M, Tumblr, Writing Prompt, dead planets, life swap au, made up kryptonian stuff, supportive lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-28 07:06:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17178206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiannaPhantom27/pseuds/DiannaPhantom27
Summary: In another world Barry Allen is a Kryptonian, Oliver Queen is the Flash, and Kara Danvers-Grant is the Arrow. These are their adventures.This prompt is two of three in which the asker requested Karivarry dealing with their pasts.The third of fifteen.





	Festival of Ra

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thatgirlwholikessupergirl](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=thatgirlwholikessupergirl).



> Hello! I’m going to be taking prompts for a Karivarry AU I’m hoping to write, but need to get my feet wet with first to figure out everything I want to do with it first. So, that where you all come in! I’ll be taking the first 15 prompts to write so long as they are in the AU I’m working toward. 
> 
> The AU? A lifeswap or roleswap AU. 
> 
> Basically: Kara is the Green Arrow, Oliver as the Flash, Barry as…well his name won’t be Superboy (I don’t know what it will be yet), but you get the picture. 
> 
> This is the third of 15, suggested by [thatgirlwholikessupergirl](https://thatgirlwholikessupergirl.tumblr.com/)
> 
> (I made up 99% of the Krytonian stuff, don't hate me Superman fans)
> 
> If anyone wants to leave me a prompt, please head to my Tumblr: [DiannaPhantomFiction](https://diannaphantomfiction.tumblr.com/)

Sometimes, before Barry opened his eyes in the morning, he forgot that he was on Earth. As the Earth’s sun, Sol, shone warm against his face from his window, he would sometimes forget it wasn’t Rao and say a quiet prayer before opening his eyes. When he opened his eyes and remembered with a sinking heart that he  _ wasn’t  _ on Krypton. 

Those were the mornings that Barry felt exceptionally lonely. As he’d grown up, those days had lessened, as Bar-El learned to be Barry West, but some days it still rose up inside him. Maybe it would have been better if he’d gotten to help raise Kal-El like he was meant to. If he’d gotten to teach Clark about their culture, but that hadn’t happened. Clark was more human than he was Kryptonian, and Barry was the exact opposite. 

On the rare lonely days, Barry would call in sick, an occurrence so rare that Dr. Wells always granted it without a second thought, told the DEO to only call him if it was an emergency, and fly off to Smallville. Martha Kent was one of the most loving women Barry had ever met. She always welcomed him with open arms and a gentle smile, always willing to feed him and let him sit on the barn’s roof to soak up the Sun in the fresh air and think. 

Barry was doing just that when he heard a familiar whoosh of air mixed with the crackle lightening. Someone had called Oliver. Someone had told Oliver, probably Len, who like Barry, was one of two known survivors of his own planet’s destruction. Ever since Barry had started working with him at the DEO, that trauma had bonded them together in a friendship that more closely resembled a family. If anyone had called Oliver or Kara, it would have been Len. 

The sound of wind and lightning started up again and within a couple minutes, Oliver’s familiar streak of deep sea blue and yellow lightning came to a stop near him. Oliver sat down on one side of him and Kara on the other, the two of them staring out at the sky with Barry. 

“You okay?” Oliver asked with as gentle a voice as he could. Kara scrunched up her nose at the question, but didn’t say anything. 

Barry shrugged. “I’m just… missing Krypton.” 

Neither Kara nor Oliver said anything for a few minutes, there were no words to comfort someone whose entire culture, entire world, was simply...gone. 

As the sun sunk lower in the sky, Kara spoke up. “So, what did the Sun look like on Krypton?” 

Barry smiled. “Scarlet. Rao wasn’t as dramatic as Sol, Krypton’s sky was sort of golden orange so, it didn’t stand out as much. We were also closer to Rao than Earth is to Sol, so everything was a little warmer. There was this mountain range that you could see from the city I lived in, it was always surrounded by clouds and when Rao would rise over the mountains and the light would reflect off the clouds...it was beautiful. I used to watch the sunrise with my father, we’d pray when Rao reached the peak of those mountains, as soon as you could see him fully.” 

“It sounds beautiful,” Oliver breathed as he and Kara inched a little closer. 

“It was. My father used to start every prayer by saying, Rao protect us so that we may protect others. Family was very important, you didn’t exist as an individual who has a family like you do here, you were one of a family. Everything you did didn’t just reflect on your family, your achievements were your families. And it was  _ nice.  _ You had the full support of your entire family behind you with everything you did, well, at least you did in mine.” 

Kara’s arm was around his waist, her head resting on his shoulder and Oliver was sitting as close as he possibly could, holding Barry’s hand and rubbing a finger over his knuckles. 

“Did you have holidays like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day?” he asked. 

Barry shook his head. “We did have something like  _ Día de Muertos.  _ It was a celebration of our ancestors and their achievements. We spent half the day with our father’s house and half with our mother’s. There was an alter of sorts, with artwork and candles and flowers, but the most important part was the family tapestry. It included the family crest and was embroidered with the names of every family member. I helped put Kal-El’s name on the tapestry when he was born.” 

“Did you have other holidays?” Kara asked. 

“Of course we did,” Barry said with a gentle laugh, “We celebrated the New Year and our Winter Solstice. There was the Celebration of the Martyrs, the people how died to create our government and the rights of the poor and people with less. There was the celebration of our mother Goddess where children got candy and art supplies. My favorite was the Festival of Rao, which took place whenever there was a solar eclipse.” 

“Tell us about it.” Oliver urged, placing a kiss on Barry’s temple and setting Barry’s head down on his shoulder. Barry could help himself and relaxed into the cuddle. 

“Everything was red, and there were lanterns that glowed red when lit. There was music and performers and games for the kid. We all ate street food and sweets. We made offerings of fruit at the Temple of Rao and celebrated when the eclipse ended with music and dancing…” 

“That all sounds wonderful. And beautiful.” 

Barry leaned back into Oliver and pulled Kara closer, soaking in the last of Sol’s rays as the clouds shone orange and violet and the sun sank in the sky. Like this, he didn’t feel so alone. 

  


  


Flying over National City, Barry couldn’t help but slow down to watch. Humans had their own traditions when it came to solar eclipses. They gathered in sports stadiums and parks, scientists gave speeches, and family sat in awe together with glasses to protect their eyes. 

Barry smiled at the scene and picked up the speed, stopping near their apartment building to spin into his civilian clothes. He smiled at the doorman as he adjusted his wire rimmed glasses and headed upstairs. As he was about to put the key in the lock, Kara burst out of the apartment and slammed the door before he could see inside. 

“What going on?” Barry asked, raising an eyebrow and trying to peer around Kara and through the door. 

Kara just held up a sleep mask, a sly smirk on her face. “Put this on.” 

Barry took the mask. “Is this lead lined?” 

“Of course it is. You’re not allowed to peak.” 

Barry rolled his eyes and pulled the mask on, holding out his hand for Kara’s. Kara took his hand and led him inside, maneuvering him through their home. Barry heard the tell-tell crackling of Oliver’s lightning.

“Okay, you can look.” 

Barry ripped off the blindfold and immediately froze, his mouth falling open. Barry spun around slowly, taking in the scene as tears came to his eyes. The apartment was covering in red, decorated with balloons and streamers. Red blankets were draped over the furniture. The table, covered with a red table cloth was loaded down with what seemed to be every type of street food humans had come up with. The curtains had been removed from the large living room windows and the windows had been opened. Every surface had lit red paper lanterns on it. 

Barry covered his mouth as the tears started to fall. 

“Barry? Do you like it?” 

Barry rubbed his eyes and beamed. “I love it. I love you. I can’t believe you guys did this. This is amazing.” 

Barry ran forward, still crying, still beaming, and kissed them both with gusto.

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone wants to leave me a prompt, please head to my Tumblr: [DiannaPhantomFiction](https://diannaphantomfiction.tumblr.com/)


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